Buddhist temple
Onjō-ji
園城寺（おんじょうじ）
Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture
The head temple (sōhonzan) of the Tendai Jimon school, affectionately known as Mii-dera and formally called Nagarasan Onjō-ji. The principal image of its golden hall is Miroku Bosatsu, handed down as an absolutely hidden image (zettai hibutsu).
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Prayers associated with this place
Principal image: Miroku Bosatsu
History and things to know
According to the official guide, it began when Ōtomo no Yota no Ō, son of Prince Ōtomo, who was defeated in the Jinshin War, built a temple to mourn his father and received from Emperor Tenmu a plaque reading "Onjō". In the Jōgan era Chishō Daishi Enchin revived it as a Tendai branch temple, and later Enchin's lineage came down from Mt. Hiei and it became the center of the Jimon branch. After repeated fires of war, the golden hall and other halls have been handed down to the present.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Related kami and buddhas
Before you visit
The 14th temple of the Saigoku Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage is the Kannon Hall (Nyoirin Kannon) in the precincts, which is separate from the principal image of the golden hall.
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 園城寺「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-21 確認）
This site is independent of the shrines, temples, and other websites mentioned. No partnership or endorsement is implied.